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Friday 8 February, 2008
Gameplay
The interactivity of the gameworld for Baten Kaitos is beyond many games of its age and the varying degree of control for different aspects of gameplay keep the game interesting. Some of the controls are unintuitive and the Final Fantasy/ Yu-Gi-Oh hybrid battle system takes a large amount of adjustment and fine-tuning of the player before it becomes smooth and easy. Beyond that the game is really designed for two players even though only one person can play at a time. The second player is really there to appreciate the battle graphics and backgrounds because the player cannot fight and watch the fight at the same time.
For about half of the game you fight monsters and work your way through dungeons, forests, towns and other areas. The rest of the game is spent on story line and social interactions with NPCs. Just about everyone is willing to talk to you and you try to talk to everyone because anyone could have a magnus that they’re willing to give you. There are also several cut-scenes where the protagonist and his friends talk to one another or an enemy. Talking with NPCs is often what will trigger one of the optional subquests.
The game hooks the player pretty quickly by throwing a couple boss fights at them within the first forest area. This also rapidly introduces the plot of finding the five “End Magnus” before the emperor. The wide variation in boss fights also keeps the player interested by pitting them against humans, magnus guardians, and the occasional para-dimensional beast. In addition the player gets to travel from island to island each time uncovering new cultures, new people, new adventures, and new challenges.
As the game keeps moving forward it becomes obvious that getting the five “End Magnus” and defeating the emperor is far from the entirety of the game. Easily within the scope of the first disc (there are 2 game discs) you encounter all five “End Magnus,” so there must be more to the game. Just the exploration of this expansive world of islands would keep most people occupied for hours on end. There is also such a wide variety of information that it seems nearly impossible to keep track of it all and it keeps the player wanting to learn more.
Design
The gamewolrd has one of the most unique design aspects that I’ve ever seen. The player travels among the islands and through them with an incredible variation in the scenery and maps. Each area has a unique background and each section, even within the same isles, has a unique style. This game also has an interesting player role where they act as an omnipotent player within the scope of the game. The player remains in control of the game, often making character decisions and gathering information when the characters don’t.
The level design separating the world into islands into regions into areas makes the gameworld vast and open to exploration while the individual maps limit the range of player motion within the area. The creatures you touch activate a battle sequence and isolate you from the rest of the world during combat. Each area at least one (but frequently more) entrance and some even have isolated areas within the same camera scope. The camera moving on a separated 2D plane instead of following the character allows the designers to hide special items behind obstacles as another challenge for the player.
The item collection system utilizing card-based storage is unique to this game. The all-encompassing nature of this system is an interesting way to twist the gameworld so the combat system to make sense within the context of the world. This also rationalizes the ability of the characters to carry such a massive amount of equipment without giant backpacks and without imposing a weight limit. In addition it allows the player to collect items, such as the essence of a fire (raw flames), that no one would try to handle with anything else.
The battle system combines the 3rd-person party-combat aspect of most Final Fantasy games with a deck and hand of cards aspect from games like Yu-Gi-Oh. This combination is unique to this game and the subsequent prequel game. This revolutionary style of combat is difficult to master and the time limit on any of the player’s turns can still catch a strategist off guard. The one major drawback is that the player must constantly watch his hand to pull off attack and defense combinations. So most of the beautiful and artistic combat graphics are lost on the player.
The battle conflicts are pretty ease to identify because touching an enemy triggers a battle sequence. The game does provide a rationale for most of the human/humanoid creatures attacking you and the boss fights are explained. Everything else falls under the category of “dangerous wildlife” and neither needs nor gives further explanation. Most fights with wild animals/ demons can be avoided but that tends to be the best way to get money, magnus, and experience. There is however conflict with many non-hostile NPCs including stubborn leaders, feuding families/businesses, etc. You can even be in conflict with the protagonist when he asks you about certain activities, quests, or negotiations.
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